Men walk through flood water in Cupar, Scotland (Picture: Danny Lawson/PA)

Mike Williams, from the Environment Agency, said: ‘This is the last weekend before Christmas, so it will be particularly busy with people travelling through the region.

‘We would urge people to take extra care when planning their journeys and we aware of the risk of flooding.’

A man climbs from his stranded vehicle in North Yorkshire (Picture: Reuters)

He added: ‘Our teams have been out around the clock to minimise the risks and prepare for flooding.

‘People need to keep up to date with the weather forecast and remain prepared for flooding in their area and stay away from dangerous flood water or attempting to drive through it.’

MeteoGroup forecaster Tom Tobler said ‘heavy and persistent’ rain would affect almost every part of the UK today.

A vehicle drives through flood water in Cupar, Scotland (Picture: PA)

Four severe flood warnings in south-west England have been issued, with residents in Cornwall being warned to expect more downpours.

Devon and Cornwall Police said they had a ‘busy’ night following extensive rain across the area.

New flood alerts have been issued across the country (Picture: PA)

A spokesman said: ‘This has again been a significant and challenging event and the emergency services together with partner agencies have worked hard throughout the night and will continue to do so to respond to calls from the public.’